AIZAWL, June 17 - Returnees lodged in a community quarantine facility at the Baptist Church Hall in Lunglei have launched an indefinite hunger strike from Tuesday in protest against the delay in getting the test results of their swab samples.
Those being quarantined in this facility include nine women � six Delhi returnees and three Haryana returnees. After one of them tested positive for COVID-19 on June 4, the swab samples of the others were collected on June 6. However, the results of these samples have not been out till date.
The quarantine centre inmates have resolved to continue their indefinite fast till they receive a positive response from the Government.
�We had stayed together with the person who tested positive for the virus, for four days. Ever since our co-inmate tested positive, we have remained in a restless state of mind. We do not know of our condition even after 10 days,� one of them said.
Meanwhile, Health Department officials on Tuesday visited the agitating inmates and clarified that testing of samples cannot be carried out fast due to shortage of equipment.
Meanwhile, the Mara Students� Organisation has alleged that not even one-third of the test results of those quarantined in Siaha district have been declared after two weeks. In some districts, the swab samples of returnees who were put in quarantine facilities on June 4, have not been collected, they complained.
In a welcome development, however, the COVID-19 tally of Mizoram continued to stand at 121 on Wednesday as no positive case was detected (till the filing of this report). Official sources said a total of 821 samples from five districts � Siaha, Lawngtlai, Kolasib, Hnahthial, Lunglei and Aizawl � were tested on Tuesday, of which 688 samples tested negative.
At present, there are 120 active cases in the State. The State�s first COVID-19 patient, admitted to hospital on March 24, was discharged on May 9.
